Our Process

To build purpose-driven websites that not only align with but promote our partners’ brands and services, Healthgrades follows a five-phase design & build process. Years of experience and successful partnerships have proven the value of this methodology: With built-in decision-making and discussion points, it creates the perfect balance of strategic oversight, efficient production and effective results.

While the phases remain the same for every project, based on the needs of our partners, we can adjust the depth of each phase, allocate appropriate amounts of time, and identify necessary skills and resources. The examples provided give evidence to the breadth of our capabilities, all driven by our established process.

Phase 1: Insight & Research

We start every project by first gaining a thorough understanding of the existing landscape. Our in-depth research includes audits that address our partner’s market, their competitors, previous marketing efforts, language use and relevant Healthgrades data. By listening to an organization’s purpose, vision, and strategies and combining those with our patient journey data and proven best practices for the web, we gather critically relevant information that forms the nucleus of our creative and development process.

Phase 2: Strategy

In Phase 2, everything learned from our research and audits is distilled into a unifying idea and strategic approach. We agree upon and solidify target markets, competitive advantages, website functional requirements and overarching project goals. We also define user personas, establish and build site architectures, and complete site mapping, fully aligning with our partner before moving forward with the design phase.

Phase 3: Design System

Once the creative and development strategies are complete, the web design-build process can begin. In Phase 3, our design, development and strategy team members work at the intersection of design excellence, data, strategic UX and development to give life to the project.

While this is taking place, we also perform an audit of our partner’s current design system, evaluating it and — in some cases — expanding it to account for new and necessary digital applications.

Phase 4: Development & Buildout

Phase 4 is when it all comes together! Wireframes and designs are completed with input and approval from our partner, while the initial development of the website occurs. If during the strategy phase, we determined that new content would need to be written or optimized, our team would handle production during this phase, interviewing key service line stakeholders as necessary.

As we receive approval for designs and agree upon workflows, our team builds out additional components of the website. It’s the most intensive — but also the most rewarding — period of the project!

Phase 5: Beta & Launch

The fundamental steps that follow completion of the development phase are to test, launch, measure and adapt. Prior to launching a site, our team conducts quality assurance (QA) tests on all designs, capabilities, forms, and integrations and hands over the beta website to our partner to conduct internal user acceptance testing (UAT). While the launch plan is established, our team makes any necessary updates and uploads all finalized content.

After successfully launching a site, Healthgrades tracks performance and compiles data, providing analytics on site traffic and key conversion goals up to 60 days post-launch. With a support and maintenance agreement in place, our team can make additional improvements and changes, as justified by data.

The launch of a partner’s new website is just the beginning: Ongoing enhancements, content optimizations, feature integrations and campaign initiatives are all available options for even more developed user targeting and engagement.

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